Spring support for hand tools



July 22, .1941. I R. E. DUPLESSIS 2,249,812

SPRING SUPPORT FOR HAND TOOL S Filed Oct. 31, 1938 w kxz Patented July 22, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFlCE SPRING SUPPORT FOR HAND TOOLS Rene E. Duplcssis, Beverly, Mass, assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Borough of Flemington, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application October 31, 1938, Serial No. 237,962

7 Claims. (oi. 248-276) tween periods of use by hanging it on a hook,

resting it on a shelf, or the like. This consumes time and is a source of annoyance to the operator. Sometimes the container, from which the material to be sprayed is supplied, is not attached directly to the gun but is separately supported and connected thereto by a suction hose.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved support for a hand tool, such as a spray gun, which will permit the operator to drop the tool when he has finished using it and will enable him to find it again quickly and easily.

Hand tools have frequently been supported by weights or springs but such arrangements are subject to the difficulty that, when the tool is re=' 1 leased by the operator, it is apt to swing in pendulum fashion for a substantial period of time before returning to its normal position. This renders it difficult for the operator to pick up the tool for the next operation. Accordingly, one feature of the invention resides in an improved arrangement for supporting a hand tool by means of which the tool is returned promptly to its normal depending position to the end that the operator may be able always to reach for the tool at a single spot without the necessity of looking at it. In the illustrated construction a spring upon which the tool is supported is provided with an enclosing casing or pipe, telescopically embracing or hugging the same, which as here shown is tiltably mounted on the support and caused to return promptly to its original or normal position with respect thereto.

These and other features of the invention will best be understood from a consideration of the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. l is an elevation of the support showing the arrangement for mounting the container and the spray gun thereon;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary View on a larger scale of the upper end of the casing for the gun-supporting spring; and

Fig. 3 is a detail in section of the clamp for the arm to which the gun-supporting spring is secured.

The invention has been illustrated in its application to a hand tool, such as a spray gun l0, which is provided with a trigger-operated valve "l2 and is adapted to be supplied with the material to be sprayed from a container or jar M through a suction hose l6. Expulsion of the material is effected by compressed air supplied through a 'hose l8. For the convenient support of this spray gun H] a post 20 is provided with a laterally extending arm 22, which is adjustably positioned thereon by a clamp 24 having a screw 26 to hold the clamp on the post 20 and a screw 28 to hold the arm 22 in position in the clamp, On this arm 22 means are provided for attaching the upper end 30 of a helical supporting spring 32, the lower end 34 of which is attached to the spray gun by a clamp 38 surrounding the tubes l6 and 18. Any other suitable arrangement for attaching the lower end of the spring to the gun may be substituted.

With the device thus far described, the operator may dispose of the gun Ill during the intervals between the periods of use by dropping it and depending upon the spring 32 to hold it against falling on the floor and to hold it in a position where he can again grasp the gun when desired. Asimple supporting spring of this type, however, would be unsatisfactory, both because of the tendency of the gun to bob up and down as the spring yields and the tendency of the gun to sway from side to side as the spring bends. This diniculty is, however, very largely overcome by pro viding a casing or pipe 40 open at the bottom to telescopically receive and embrace or hug the major portion of the spring 32 and in an upper portion of which the upper end 30 of the spring is secured by means of a cotter pin 42. The casing 40 is not rigidly mounted but rather is tiltably supported upon a block 44 attached to the arm 22 by a set screw 46. This block is provided with a recess 48 (Fig. 2) and has a flat bottom surface against which rests a flange 5i] attached to the upper end of the casing 40. Between the casing 40 and the block 44 extends a short stiff spring 52, the upper end of which is attached in the recess 48 by a pin 54 and the lower end of which is attached in the casing 40 by a pin 56.

When thus attached the spring 52 is under ten-.

ment with the cover 62.

leased by the operator. The spring 32 is prevented from swaying laterally and bobbing by reason of its reception within the casing 40 which hugs the same as it contracts tothe condition where the weight of the gun is balanced by the spring thereby tending to prevent relative movement between the individual coils of the spring.

During theuse of the apparatus it becomes necessary to refill thercontainer jar l4 and to bring the latter up into a position surrounding a depending suction tube 60 attached to the suction hose I6. This tube is secured in depending position on the support 20 by reason of its attachment to a cover 52, which is provided with a clamp 64 to attach it rigidly to the supporting post 28. The jar I 3, having been brought into contact with the cover 62, is given a partial turn to cause the engagement of threads on the jarv with threads in the cover. If this is done carelessly the Weight of the container I4 will nevertheless be carried by a displaceable shelf 66 which is swin'gably mounted on the supporting post 20. The normal position of the shelf 66 with respect to the post is determined by the stop pin 68 adjustably supported on the post 20 by a clamp having a set screw 12. Extending between this clamp is and the shelf 66 is a coil spring M arranged to return the displaceable shelf into its operative position against the stop 68 when it is permitted to do so. The operator then has only to grasp the container I4 and may use both hands for this purpose, if necessary, to swing the shelf 66 aside and bring the container up under the suction tube 60 into engage- The shelf 66 will then be automatically returned into position to support the container by the spring 14.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A support for a hand tool comprising a fixed member, a resilient suspension member connected to the fixed member, acasing telescopically embracing a portion of the length of the suspension member, and a clamp secured to the free end of the suspension member whereby said end may be attached to a tool to support the same.

2. A support for a hand tool comprising a fixed member, a tiltable, depending casing on the fixed member, a resilient member having its upper end embraced by and connected to the casing, and a 'clamp secured to the lower end of said resilient member whereby said end may be attached to a tool to support the same.

3. A support for a hand tool comprising a fixed member, a resilient suspension member having a clamp at its lower end for attaching a tool thereto, and other means arranged to engage a portion of said suspension member and co-operating therewith to urge said suspension member to return to normal position with respect to the fixed member.

4. A support for a hand hool comprising a fixed member, an extensible spring, means for suspending the spring from the fixed member, said spring having a clampat its lower end for attaching a tool thereto, and means arranged to engage a portion of said spring and co-operating therewith to return it to normal position with respect to the fixed member.

5. A support for a hand tool comprising a fixed member, a helical suspension spring having a clamp at its lower end for attaching a tool thereto, a spring-receiving casing telescopically hugging said spring and tiltably mounted upon said-fixed member, means for securing the upper end of the helical spring to said casing, and means for returning said casing to normal position with respect to said fixed member.

6. A support for a hand tool comprising a fixed member, a cylindrical casing adapted to be normally positioned in end contact with said fixed member, a stiff spring for returning said casing to this normal position, and a lighter spring connected at one end within the casing and having at its other end a clamp whereby it may be attached to a tool, said spring when retracted having a major portion of its length received within the casing.

7. A support for a hand tool comprising a fixed member, a recessed block upon the fixed member having an exposed bottom surface, a pipe casing provided with a flange at its upper end adapted to be positioned in contact with said bottom surface, a stiff spring received partly within the casing for tiltably connecting the casing to the block, a long helical spring partly received within the casing and connected thereto near the stiff spring and a clamp secured to the lower end of the spring below the lower end of the casing whereby it may be attached to a tool.

RENE E. DUPLESSIS. 

